If you walk through the pedestrian mall of Iowa City regularly, then you've undoubtedly seen Tyrell Spitt with headphones on, rapping to himself and for everybody. His energy and determination are incredible, and once you meet him, you'll realize there is also a deep intelligence and love for expression behind his lyrical flow. Talk to him further and you'll find that Tyrell is a self-taught metaphysics master and a main proponent behind the hip-hop scene here in town. We sat down in the Tobacco Bowl to talk about his life since moving from Harvey, Illinois in 2002.
"I moved here from Harvey for reasons I no longer participate in. I wanted to devote myself to learning and to my art."
Spitt began rapping on the Pedmall for change in 2006 (at the time he was houseless). During this, he wrote a new freestyle battle format, which he calls unique. "Tournaments today are wrong. Rather than staggering the artists one at a time and coming up with a list of what the order of the artists should be, I think they should be thrown all on stage at one time and have the artists work out the flow together." He pitched this battle format to Grind Time, "the" Freestyle Battle Corporation, which Spitt says they're still sitting on.
His enthusiasm for learning and his pursuit into the business side of hip-hop garnered the attention of Joseph Sulentic, a tutor at the University of Iowa's Pappajohn Business Building, who paid for business courses for Tyrell at the Seamans Center. This opportunity gave him the first steps towards his current project, "The New Dance Party."
"Back in 2008, I got a phone interview with Senior Vice President, David Charmatz, of Starz/Encore. His advice for me was to 'stay persistent'."
The New Dance Party was created in 2010 to bring together local hip-hop artists, to orchestrate shows, and garner support for music videos and recordings. "We want to create a panoramic picture of those who're trying to make it in hip-hop here in Iowa City. On April 16th, the Facebook page will have downloadable music from over 25 artists in a compilation called, "The Movement and Murder of Music and Mankind-2012". Annually we take submissions for the compilations during November through January of each year. On April 27th, we're going to have a house party at 806 Bowery, which will feature Lyssa LadyBoss, Shakes, Marq Devine, Fooch the MC, J. Bizzle, TayBeez-Fasheez, V.O. Marley, and Ghost. In 2013, I will be coming out with an independent recording label, called 'Lookatmyface'. V.O. Marley and myself are the first two artists to release albums under this label"
As to further information about his life, he had this to say: "I want everyone to know that I miss my family. Currently, I'm studying how it is to be left-handed in a right-handed world, about metaphysics and art. I totally think Einstein was right about the Static Universe theory. That I'm gonna keep promoting artists and I have no plans on stopping. I give thanks to everyone in Iowa City and really appreciate all the support they have given me."
Please login to post.